Luke Shaw scores first career goal as Man Utd make winning start against Leicester

Luke Shaw scores in the second half to secure victory for Manchester United - Action Images via Reuters

Storm clouds remain heavy over Manchester United with even this vital opening Premier League victory against Leicester City failing to lift the dark mood of Jose Mourinho.

Goals from Paul Pogba and Luke Shaw – which felt strangely appropriate given the uncertainty over their futures under Mourinho – were not enough for the manager to move on from his burning sense that he has been badly let down this summer by the club’s hierarchy.

Post-match and Mourinho was talking failed transfer targets and tricky pre-seasons – again – and he made a barbed comment about how managers nowadays should all be re-defined as head coaches such is the power they have had to cede to their clubs. A bit like the fable of the scorpion and the fox he just cannot help himself.

Goodness knows what Mourinho’s reaction would have been had United lost to a reshaped Leicester who preyed on that uncertainty and pushed and pushed before scoring in injury-time through substitute Jamie Vardy. The final play of the match was United watching nervously as a header from a Leicester corner, and with goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel in the home penalty area, drifted wide.

The match itself was a microcosm of how Mourinho is perceived. It was either an important, encouraging win earned through managing the depleted resources available to him – for example using 22-year-old attacking midfielder such as Andreas Pereira in a deeper role – or another example that they are a maddeningly constrained curiosity given the vast resources available to them. They won; but they did not win convincingly.

Paul Pogba was outstanding for Manchester United Credit: AP

They lack the fluency of other sides, they lack that constant attacking flair, but they finished above them all bar Manchester City last season.

Mourinho praised both Shaw and Pogba but that comes with context. Shaw has been vilified in the past for his fitness, his attitude, even apparently his weight but the left-back struck late on and it proved so vital.

Mourinho may have allowed himself a wry smile as the goal followed a poor first touch but Shaw finished well enough given it was the first time the 23-year-old had found the net in 134 appearances – 67 each for Southampton and United.

It had seemed until then Pogba would be the story after he had scored the early penalty – awarded on just 77 seconds - that had nevertheless appeared set to settle this encounter.

Pogba had been handed the captain’s armband and that felt symbolic and maybe it was an olive branch from Mourinho who later called him a “monster” with the impressive power of his performance after just a few days of training. But the midfielder’s celebrations at scoring – having pulled rank on Alexis Sanchez – then appeared muted and a million reasons will be read into that.

Jose Mourinho (L) will be relieved with the winCredit: Action Images

Maybe the World Cup winner was just being cool but there is that huge backdrop of Barcelona’s interest, Mourinho’s unhappiness with Pogba last season and despite United’s insistence that he will not be sold a feeling that the manager may not entirely share that sentiment. And so it goes on.

Even the United coach turned up late. It made it to the stadium just an hour before kick-off – leading to jokes about how Mourinho failed to park the bus – which will not have helped his sense that things are just conspiring against him. That should have been quickly dispelled by events on the pitch as referee Andre Marriner rightly awarded the penalty which came as Daniel Amartey inexplicably stuck out an arm to try and control the ball after Wes Morgan had blocked Sanchez’s shot. Amartey claimed it was his chest but, crazily, he had handled. Almost as bizarre was Pogba’s technique with a run-up that was more a slow tip-toe before side-footing the ball high into the corner of the net above Schmeichel’s dive.

It was the third successive season that Leicester had conceded the first Premier League goal; having also opened the last campaign on a Friday evening, away to Arsenal, but they began to dominate with debutant James Maddison, clever and creative, Demarai Gray and Ben Chilwell – three young English players in front of England manager Gareth Southgate – prominent.

Luke Shaw is mobbed after scoring his first ever career goalCredit: AP

Maddison would have scored but for the excellence of David De Gea who, one-handed, palmed away his fierce shot with Leicester also targeting United right-back Matteo Darmian while Fred, on his debut, worked hard to plug the gaps and Eric Bailly did well in defence.

After the break United were much improved although it was Leicester who went close, and were again denied by De Gea, after Gray met Vardy’s cross when the striker had caught out a dawdling Shaw. Thankfully that would not be Shaw’s only significant involvement.

Schmeichel brilliantly thwarted United substitute Romelu Lukaku, turning over his low shot with an outstretched leg, before Shaw took possession out on the left. His touch was heavy but he reacted quickly to collect it ahead of Ricardo Pereira and volleyed low back across goal to beat Schmeichel.

Just as it felt that would be it and that, despite Mourinho’s demands for a central defender – and with one of those targets, Harry Maguire, playing for Leicester – a clean sheet would be collected by United, Leicester hit back. Vardy had already wastefully hooked a volley over before his presence confused De Gea and Bailly who allowed a Pereira cross to rebound back off the far post for the England striker to head home. Would United throw it away? No, they held on – but Mourinho has not let go of that sense of grievance. Not yet, anyway.

85 min - Man Utd 2 Leicester 0

GOAL! Man Utd 2 Leicester 0 (Shaw 83')

Well that is that, United have surely won this now - and it's a first ever career goal for Luke Shaw! Mata clips a ball over the top that Shaw slightly fortuitously dinks over Pereira, before hooking an excellent volley beyond Schmeichel. Great finish.

80 min - Man Utd 1 Leicester 0

78 min - Man Utd 1 Leicester 0

How have United not scored there?! Sanchez threads a pass through to Lukaku, who has time to set himself and get a shot away from about six yards that Schmeichel does brilliantly to divert over the bar. That would have been game, set and match for United.

78 min - Man Utd 1 Leicester 0

76 min - Man Utd 1 Leicester 0

Very nearly the equaliser for Leicester but De Gea does brilliantly to smother Gray's close-range volley. Vardy made the chance by haring after Shaw and winning the ball before delivering an excellent cross.

United then replace Fred with McTominay. Solid debut for the Fredster.

57 min - Man Utd 1 Leicester 0

55 min - Man Utd 1 Leicester 0

Great feet from Pogba allows him to evade two challenges and glide up the pitch to send Sanchez away. Sanchez's cross through is too strong and Schmeichel claims. Fred, who's put in a few meaty challenges, then gets booked for a late tackle on Maddison.

Kick-off - Man Utd 1 Leicester 0

Man Utd 1 Leicester 0: First-half summary

United flew out of the blocks and took a third-minute lead through their skipper for the night Paul Pogba. Leicester looked rattled for a few minutes but since then they've been much the better side and very nearly equalised through the highly impressive debutant James Maddison.

United recovered a bit of their composure towards the end of the half, but overall Jose Mourinho will be furious at the way his side have dropped in intensity since the early stages.

They'll need to improve after the break or it's tough to see them holding onto this lead.

45 min - Man Utd 1 Leicester 0

42 min - Man Utd 1 Leicester 0

All of a sudden it's a flurry of United attacks. Shaw gets forward from the left and volleys in a decent effort that Schmeichel holds onto. That would have been Shaw's first ever goal in senior football.

37 min - Man Utd 1 Leicester 0

35 min - Man Utd 1 Leicester 0

United just can't get out at the moment, and the Maddison-Chillwell partnership is causing so many problems down the Leicester left. Mourinho has just told Rashford to move over to the United right to try and combat the threat.

30 min - Man Utd 1 Leicester 0

29 min - Man Utd 1 Leicester 0

So close Leicester! The visitors work the ball beautifully to Amartey, whose pull-back to Madison is perfect. Madison, who's been excellent, connects cleanly from about 12 yards out but De Gea saves the shot smartly.

18 min - Man Utd 1 Leicester 0

15 min - Man Utd 1 Leicester 0

Leicester have grown into this game, with Gray giving Darmian as schooling down the left. First, more good work from Gray leads to a long-range effort from Ndidi that's straight at De Gea. Iheanacho then drags a shot wide from close range, though the flag was up for offside.

13 min - Man Utd 1 Leicester 0

12 min - Man Utd 1 Leicester 0

Leicester win another free-kick in a promising position down the left as Darmian chops down Gray. Agian though Pogba heads Chillwell's delivery away. Great start to the game from United's captain for the day Pogba.

10 min - Man Utd 1 Leicester 0

Leicester stroking the ball around to gain some much-needed respite after this ferocious United start. Incidentally Pogba's goal is the earliest United have scored in the first game of a Premier League season.

Mou speaks

Mourinho plays down the significance of Pogba captain, pointing out that he was skipper a couple of times last season as well. "It's his third season in the club, made in the academy, he understands the club and a good example of making himself available today to try and help the team," Mourinho adds.

What it all means

Pogba captaining the side is an interesting one. Inevitably the suggestion will be that it's an attempt to dissuade him from moving to Barcelona.

Martial and Lukaku are on the bench, while midfielder Andreas Pereira makes only his sixth Premier League appearance for United. You suspect you'll spot him in this game on a future edition of Premier League Years and think "who's that playing for United?"

For Leicester, Maguire starts against his future (?) club, but Vardy is fit enough only for the bench. Iheanacho will lead the line in his absence.

Like it's never been away

It does feel as though the new season has come around quicker than ever before. But weirdly I feel ready. I think the fact that City effectively wrapped the title up in December means it's a long time since matters at the top end of the Premier League really mattered.

And so it begins

Yes, it's been a frustrating summer for United, and yes Mourinho has been insufferable, but I suspect all that will be forgotten if his side start the season strongly.

And I expect them to do just that. Amid all the noise around failing to sign a centre-back, United still have a very strong squad and in Alexis Sanchez - fresh from his first summer off since 2013 - Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku possess a world-class attack.

Key to the general mood at Old Trafford will be tonight's game against Leicester, who in their dogged refusal to sell Harry Maguire have already played a big part in United's summer.

Maguire staying at the King Power is a massive bonus for Claude Puel, as was striker Jamie Vardy signing a four-year contract on deadline day.

Read Thom Gibbs' definitive list

Riyad Mahrez may have finally left but in general it's been a very satisfactory pre-season for Leicester, especially given their deadline-day captures of central defenders Filip Benkovic and Caglar Soyuncu.

It's unclear if they'll be thrust straight into duty this evening, and Puel was coy yesterday about whether Maguire and Vardy would start after the pair returned late to pre-season following their World Cup exertions.

Mourinho faces the same dilemma with the likes of Pogba and Lukaku, and he will be without six players through injury, including the recently anointed captain Antonio Valencia.

The team news will be confirmed at around 7pm, and we'll have the line-ups with you then. Just as a side-note, Leicester were also involved in the first game of last season, which was also played on a Friday night. On that occasion they were beaten 4-3 by Arsenal in arguably the best game of the entire campaign.